Neither can they correct themselves. When I speak in slang, I know that I am doing it. I know that slang is a way of speaking to a specific group. I know that I can correct myself and that I can speak properly. This is a major misconception about the two. The first is a dialect that the speaker cannot control. The latter is an attitude. It is a way of approaching life and situations at home differently from situations at school, work, or elsewhere. .
For hundreds of years, English has been continuously changing. Words that were unacceptable 300 years ago are now commonplace. English has always had a trademark of being a comfortable language, the language of the common people (MacNeil 143). So who is there to say that the change in the English language right or wrong? Change in the grammar and diction of a language is natural, and English is always confronted with changes. Among them are the use of slang, clipped word endings, and new dialects. Some Conservatives do not like changes because they claim that standard English is a perfect language; they do not want to corrupt it. Others simply do not like change. Neither group of Conservatives has any new arguments, and nothing to fear from change.
Slang worries Conservatives the most because it affects the vocabulary of English. American English, especially, is always adding new words to its vocabulary for social, scientific, or artistic reasons. The scientific and artistic words do not bother these people; only the social, or slang, words do. Slang is usually created by children or teens who seek social status (Morrow 137). Because kids are the source of new slang, some adults look down on it with the assumption that kids are unintelligent and simply rebelling against established English grammar and diction. However, most of the adults did the same thing when they were children. Adults have been frowning on slang for generations (Crystal 104).
Who is to say what is Standard or Non-Standard English? Is there some law that says your English is right or wrong? ... There are several other dialects of English that are use here in America. The language of slang is a common language used in most of the urban areas in America. ... We need to mold our language usage to be suitable to our intended audience. ...
Drug usage, which is frequent in the book, was also a developing problem in the 60's by "hippies." ... This is in relation to the people of the time, who, as already stated, did not like the youth of their time and knew that the youth of their time were heading in the wrong direction. ... Another example of fundamentalist change would also be the use of slang in the novel. ... What biggy, what only? ... The strong American-Soviet alliance had collapsed, as the Soviets attempted to spread their empire throughout Europe. ...
Despite what they tell you, people like having their buttons pushed" (Macrone 6). ... Of course, most don't know what it originally meant. Gadzooks was originally slang for "God's hooks," and was equally offensive to 'zounds and 'sblood as it also referred to the crucifixion. An interesting note is that there is an American store called Gadzooks, which is a pop-culture vendor to America's youth. ... There are many variations on the usage and placement of these words, but they still pack a punch. ...
Over the years, American presidents have resorted to a more direct approach when it comes to connecting with the American public. ... The shift from using formal language, to using more of the everyday speech possibly suggests that the American people have progressively become less smart and therefore presidential rhetoric has been dumbed down in order for the average American to understand what is being said. ... He discovers that after the year 1914, there was an increase from 0.4 to 3 percent in the usage of public address indicators like we and our (Teten 11). ... This study documents Roos...
